Brake mechanism for railway-cars.



No. 632,319. Patented sept. 5, |899.

.1. H. NEAL.

BRAKE MECHANI'SM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

- (Application led Jan. 13, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

@www .am f mmm/rw HTT'Y No. 632,3I9. Patented Sept. 5, |899.

J. H. NEAL.

BRAKE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

(Application led Jan. 13, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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No. 632,3l9.

(No Model.)

WIT NE 5555- WMWLM l Patented Sept. 5, |899. J. H. NEAL.

BRAKE MECHANISM FUR RAILWAY CARS.

(Application led .Tm 13, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

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n: uonms PETER: no., immuun-1o., wsnmsmu. n. cA

JAMES H. NEAL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANKLIN E. HUNTRESS, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRAKE MECHANISIVI FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,319, dated September 5, 1899.

Application led January 13, 1899. Serial No. 702,018. (No model.)

To all whom t may Concern: controlled by a hand-operated brake mech- Beitknown that I, JAMES H. NEAL,residing anism carried by the car, and which latter in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State may be of ordinary construction, or which of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvemay be of a novel construction, as will be de- 55 5 ment in Brake Mechanism for Railway-Cars, scribed.

of which the following description, in connec- The power-brake mechanism may be contion with the accompanying drawings, is a trolled by an emergency device, as will be despecitication, like letters and numerals on the scribed. drawings representing like parts. These and other features of this invention 6o ro This invention relates toabrake-operating will be pointed out in the claims at the end mechanism especially designed and adapted vof this specication. for use on cars, either surface or elevated. Figure 1 is a side elevation of a su flicient My present invention has for its object to portion of arailway-car provided with a brake provide cars propelled bymotive power-such 4mechanism embodying this invention to en- 65 I5 as electricity, cable, compressed air, &c.- able it to be understood; Fig. 2, a detail in with a brake mechanism operated by power plan of the car-truck and brake mechanism obtained from the moving car, but which is shown in Fig. 1, the car-body being omitted; controlled hy the motorman or operator on Figs. 3 and 4, enlarged sectional details of the the car and preferably controlled by a handpump shown in Fig.1; Fig.5,alongitudinal sec- 70 zo operated brake mechanism which is available tional detail,on an enlarged scale,of thebrakefor use in case of accident to or derangement cylinder shown in Fig. l; Fig. 6, a sectional of the powerbrakedetail of the brake-cylinder on the line 6 G, In the present embodiment of my inven- Fig. 5, with the piston and valve omitted; Fig. tion the car carries a brake-cylinder provided 7, a vertical sectional detail on the line 7 7, 75 z5 with a piston having its rod operatively con- Fig. 1, to be referred to; Fig. 7, a cross-secnected to the car-brakes, which latter may be tion on the line 7 7, 7; and Fig. S, a of any usual or suitable construction. The modification to be referred to. piston in the brake-cylinder is adapted to be In the present instance I have shown my actuated to set thc brakes by a pump driven invention as applied to a railwaycar come 8o 3o from the car-axle and controlled bythe'motorprising a car-body A, mounted upon a fourman in a manner aswill be described, and wheel truck A', provided with wheels ct a', which pump when the car is in motion under mounted on axles a2 but instead of the normal conditions is driven from the carparticular form of car herein shown I may axle and is inactive upon the piston; but apply the invention to any other form such 85 35 when it is desired 'to stop the car the pump is as now commonly used on electric railways. rendered active or effective on the said piston The car herein shown is provided with a to set the brakes. The piston is also adapted brake operating mechanism comprising a to be operated by the motorman in case of brake-cylinder a5, provided with a piston a6, accident to the power-pump, whereby the having a rod a7 extended. through one end of 9o 4o brakes may be set by hand. the said cylinder and connected, as herein In accordance with this invention I emshown, (see Fig. 2,) by a rod or link a8 to one ploy oil or other liquid, which is adapted to end of a brake-lever a9, pivoted at am to an be forced by the power-pump into the brakearm Ct, fastened toa cross-beam als, which cylinder and under properconditi ons to move is suitably secured to or supported from a sta- 95 45 the piston and set the brakes, and which oil tionaryportion ofthe truck and shown as susis rendered ineffective on said piston to move pended by rods 10 from a cross-beam 12, fasthe same when the car is 'in motion under tened to the sides of the truck A', the brakenorinal conditions. lever ai being connected byan arm or bar CH2 The action of the oil or other liquid upon to the brake-beam alcarrying the brake-shoes Ico 5o the piston in the brake-cylinder may and prefam, which coperate with the wheels a.

erably will be governed by a valve, which is The brake-cylinder c5 in the present in stance is flexibly suspended from the carbody, as by links @18, and is provided with a lug or ear (L12, connected by link d20 with the brake-lever (L21, pivoted at L22 and connected to the brake-beam C025, carrying the brakeshoes @24, which coperate with the wheels a. The piston a is designed in the present instance to be moved so as to apply the brakeshoes @15 a24 both by power created by the revolution of a car-axle and by power created by hand-operated brake-handles C625 @25 on upright rods or brake-staffs (L21 6028, carried by the dashers 0,29 d50, after the manner now commonly practiced on electric-railway cars.

The piston t5 may be operated by power by means of a pump, which is shown in the present instance as mounted on the axle 0.2 and which consists of a casing Z9, provided with a chamber Z9, in which are located eccentrics Z92 Z95, set substantially opposite on said axle and having pivotally connected'to their straps Z94 Z95 plungers Z9 Z97, reciprocating in cylindrical passages Z98 Z99, connected by branch pipes Z910 Z912 to a common outlet-pipe Z913, which leads to a liquid-inlet pipe Z914 for the brake-cylinder, the said inlet-pipe leading into the said cylinder behind the piston therein. (See Fig. 5.) The pipes Z91O Z912 are provided with checkvalves l5 1G, (indicated by dotted lines, Figs. 3 and 4,) and which may be of any suitable or desired construction. The plungers Z96 Z9T are suitably guided in the passages Z92 Z9, as by lingers Z915, attached to them. The pum p-casing Z9 is provided with a liquid-inlet pipe Z915, connected in the present instance by a flexible pipe Z917 to a pipe Z915, extended into a port or opening Z920 in the bottom of the brake-cylinder and located, as shown, near one end of the same, the port Z920 being larger than the pipe Z918. The brake-cylinder d5 in the present instance is inclosed bya casingZ921 of materially larger diameter to form a chamber Z922 to contain oil or other liquid supplied thereto through an inlet-pipe 20, and which chamber is adapted to be connected to the pipe Z915 under certain conditions, as will be described.

The brake-cylinder a5 may be of any suitable or usual construction, and, as represented in Figs. 5 and S, one end is removable, and the inclosing case is made with one of its ends removable. The brake-cylinder a5, as shown in Fig. 5, is provided within it with a hollow piston-valve Z925, having rentrant portions 2 3 on opposite sides of a circular portion 4C, constituting the valve proper, by which comlnunication may be cut 0E between the oilchamber Z922 and the pipe Z915, the lower portion of the hollowr valve having extensions or flanges 5 6 to prevent the passage of oil from the brake-cylinder into the pipe Z91S or oilchamber Z922 through the port Z920.

The piston-valve Z925 may be provided with a hollow cylindrical stem or extension Z950, having attached to it a lug or projection Z921, which coperates with a port b52in the cylinder d5 and is provided with an extension which leads into the upper portion of the oil-chamber Z922.

The piston-valve Z925 lits the brake-cylinder substantially liquid-tight and cooperates with the piston a5 to form iu the brake-cylinder a chamber Z925, which is lled with oil or other liquid forced into said chamber by the pump when the brakes are set, as will be described.

The piston-rod a7 is extended through the piston-valve Z925 and its `hollow stem Z950 and through a stufling-box Z940, and the said rod, as shown, is encircled bya spiral spring Z951, having one end fastened to the stem o'r extension Z950 and its other end fastened to the end of the brake-cylinder, the purpose of which spring will be hereinafter more fully described. The piston-valve Z925 may and preferably will be moved in the brake-cylinder in the direction indicated by arrow 200, Fig. 5, to close the port Z952 by means of oil or other incompressible fluid Z950, which is forced into the brake-cylinder a5, behind the pistonvalve Z925, through an inlet-pipe Z951, connected by a pipe Z952 to the lower end of a substantially vertical cylinder Z955, attached to the car-platform Z944, the inlet-pipe Z951 being also connected by pipe Z954 to a like cylinder Z955, attached to the other platform Z955. rllhe cylinders Z953 Z955 are each provided with a plunger or piston c, (see Fig. 6,) having a threaded socket in which fits the threaded end ot' the brake staff or rod coperating with it, and

said threads are made of steep pitch, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the plunger may be moved upward in its cylinder by the pressure of the liquid contained therein.

By means of the threaded arrangement of brake-staff and plunger a rotary movement of the brake-staff in one direction produces longitudinal movement of the plunger down in its cylinder without a corresponding longitudinal movement of the brake-staff, thereby forcing the oil or liquid in said cylinder and the pipe Z952, connecting it to the inlet-pipe Z951 of the brake-cylinder, into said brake-cylinder behind the piston-valve, thereby moving said valve in the direction indicated by arrow 200 in Fig. 5. The plunger c is held from rotating in its cylinder in any desired or suitable manner which will not affect the reciprocation of the same, and which may be accomplished by means of a pin 300, extended through the cylinder into a longitudinal slot 301 in the plunger c. (See Fig. 75.) The piston-valve Z925 may thus be moved sufficiently to apply the brakes by the power exerted by hand, the piston-valve in its movement carrying forward with it the liquid in the chamber Z955 of the brake-cylinder and also the piston a5. The pistou-valve Z925 in its forward movement closes the outlet-port Z932 for the oilchamber within the brake-cylinder and at the same time uncovers the pipe Z918, and by the rentrant portion 2 connects said pipe with the chamber Z922, so that oil is drawn by the power-pump from the chamber Z922 thron gh the IOO IIO

rentrant portion 2 into the inlet-pipe 516 for the pump and is forced by the said pump into the brake-cylinder through the pipe 511, thus moving the piston c6, so as to apply the brakes by power. The liquid forced by the pump into the brake-cylinder exerts pressure upon the piston ab' to apply the brakes, and also exerts a back pressurel upon the valve 525,' but this back pressure is resisted by the power applied to the brake-staff, as CW, which may be held by the motorman. or by the usual pawl or dog now commonly employed on electricrailWay cars, and which is pivoted on the carplatform and engaged with and disengaged from a ratchet-wheel fast on the brake-staff by the foot of the operator. If the pawl or dog is engaged with the ratchet-wheel, the brake-staff becomes stationary, and the plunger c is thereby rendered stationary and forms a solid abutment, by which the back pressure upon the valve 525 is resisted. The foot-dog and ratchet-wheel are not herein shown, as their use is Well understood. To release the brakes, the operator releases the brake-staff and the back pressure of the oil in the brake-cylinder moves the valve 525 in the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 200, Fig. 5, which forces the oil in front of it ont of the brake-cylinder and into the cylinder 553 and moves the plunger upward in said cylinder, which upward movement of the plunger effects rotation of the brake-staff without corresponding vertical movement thereof. The `release of the brake-staff relieves the pressure upon the piston a sufficient to permit the brake-releasing springs c5, of any usual construction, to move the piston a back into its normal position, (shown in Fig. 4,) and this return movement of the piston by the springs c5 acts to create a pressure of the oil on the valve 525 to force the plunger upward in its cylinder. 7When the piston-valve is in its normal position, with the valve proper 4t covering the port 520 and pipe 51S, and the car isagain started, the pump is set in motion and the oil in the pipe 517 will be drawn into the pump and forced into the brake-cylinder, but will have no effect on the piston a, as the outlet port or passage 5%0 is at such time open, and while the car is in motion the pump after emptying the pipe 517 is performing practically no work, and hence can be driven at a high speed by the car when in rapid motion without danger of setting the brakes.

From the above description it will be seen that the brakes may be applied by hand in case any accident should occur to the pump or its connections with the brake-cylinder, for by inspection of Fig. 5 it will be seen that a slight movement of the piston-valve brings its extension 530 into contact with the brakepiston a6 and further movement of the pistonvalve acts to set the brakes. Provision is In this case the oil is withdrawn from behind the piston-valve 525 and the latter is moved b v the spring' 511 in the direction opposite to that indicated by the strikes the end of the brake-cylinder, and at such time the rentraut portion 3 connects the pipe 518 with the oil-chamber 522 and the port 532 is closed by the valve 531. The pump at such time takes oil from the chamber 522 and forces it into the brake-cylinder, and thereby applies the brakes. It will be noticed that the brake-cylinder is not rigidly secured to the car-body or to the car-truck, but is supported flexibly, so that the said cylinder moves when its piston is moved, but in an opposite direction thereto, to thereby apply one set of brakes, as @24, the other set (L16 being applied by the piston a6. By making the brake-cylinder movable to apply one set of brakes I am enabled to simplify the operating parts for said brakes, and while I prefer this arrangement it is evident that both sets of brakes may be operated by movement of the piston alone.

I have herein described the pump as performing practically no work when the car is running under normal conditions, and, while I prefer this arrangement, if desired the apparatus may be arranged so that the pump would circulate oil through the brake-cylinder without aifecting the brakes until it was desired to apply the same. One arrangement by which this may be effected is shown in Fig. 8, wherein the brake-cylinder d5 is connected with the chamber 522 through the port 5i2 and the pipe 51S communicates with the said chamber. Vith the arrangement shown in Fig. S the pump takes oil from the chamber 52'*2 by the pipe 518 and forces it into the brake-cylinder through the pipe 514 and the oil passes out of the brake-cylinder into t-he chamber 522 through the port 532. The pipes 552 554 may be provided with shut-off valves d d' on opposite sides of the pipe 551, so that in case the emergency-valve 531 is operated by leakage from either cylinder 553 said cylinder may be cut olf and the oil in the other cylinder employed to restore the piston-valve to its normal condition and also to operate said valve, as above described.

The brake-staffs may be held from rotating in the reverse direction under the infiuence of the back pressure of the liquid on the piston c either by the motorman or by a dog or pawl, (not herein shown,) but which is located on the car-platform and engages a ratchet- Wheel fast on the brake-staff after the manner now commonly employed on electric-railway cars.

From the above description it will be seen that the car may be stopped in its motion by applying the brakes in the following waysnamely, lirst, by moving the brake-handle sufficient to close the port 532 and enable the pump to set the brakes; second, by continuing the movement of the brake-handle sufficient to set the brakes without regard to the 'arrow 200 until the llange U on said valve IOO IIO

power-pump or in combination with the same, and, third, by closing the port D32 by the emergency-valve. p

The oil may be supplied to the system through a pipe 5U, (see Fig. 5,) connected to the pipe D51, and the air in ihe system may be vented through a pipe 5l.

I claiml. The combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a railway-ear, brake mech anisms therefor, a brake-cylinder provided with a piston having its rod connected to oneof said brake mechanisms, a liquid-pu mp driven from an axle of the car and connected to said brake-cylinder to force liquid into said cylinder While the car is in motion under normal conditions Without setting the brakes, a valve in said brake-cylinder to control the passage of liquid out of said cylinder, and means to operate said valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a railway-car, brake mechanisms therefor, a brake-cylinder provided with a piston having its rod connected to one of said brake mechanisms, a liquid-pump `provided With a piston positively driven from an axle of the car and connected to said brakecylinder to force liquid into said cylinder while the car is in motion under normal conditions Without setting the brakes, a valve in said brake-cylinder to control the passage oi' liquid out of said cylinder, and a hand-operated mechanism operative upon said valve to close the liquid-outlet from the said cylinder and thereby apply the brakes, substan tially as described.

3. A brake-operating mechanism for rail- Way-cars comprising a vbrake-cylinder provided With a piston operatively connected to the car-brakes, and a liquid-pump operated from a car-axle to force liquid into the brakecylinder to move said piston and apply the brakes, a valve normally rendering the operation of the pump ineffective upon said piston, a cylinder provided with a piston and containing liquid, a pipe connection between said cylinder and valve, and a hand-operated device to move said piston in its cylinder in one direction and thereby cause the liquid contained therein to act on said valve to render the operation of the pump effective upon the piston of the brake-cylinder, substantially as described.

l. The combination With a railway-car, of a poWer-brake-operating `nnechanisni comprising a pump actuated from an axle of the car, a brake-cylinder connected to said pump, and having its piston connected with the brake mechanism of said car, manually-operated mechanism controlling the eifective operation of the pump upon the piston in said brake-cylinder and effective upon the brake mechanism to apply the brakes independent of the said pump, substantially as described.

rlhe combination with a railway-car, of a poWer-l)rake-operating mechanism actuated from an axle of the car, and normally inoperative While the car is in motion, manuallyoperated mechanism controlling the effective operation of the power-brake mechanism, and means to render said power-brake operative in case of accident to said manually-operated mechanism, said means being normally inactive, substantially as described.

G. The combination with a railway-car, of a power-brake mechanism comprising a brakecylinder provided with a piston operatively connected to the car-brakes, a liquid-pump operated from an axle of said car and connected to said brake-cylinder; a valve in said brake-cylinder controlling the action of the said pump upon said pistou, and means to operate said valve, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a railway-car, of a power-brake mechanism comprising a brakecylinder provided with a piston operatively connected to the car-brakes, a liquid-pump operated from an axle of said ear and connected to said cylinder to force liquid therein, a valve in said brake-cylinder controlling the action of said pump to render the iiuid in the cylinder effective upon the said piston,means to operate said valves, a second valve to control the action of the pump on said piston, and means to operate said second valve to render the liquid forced into the brake-cylinder effective upon the piston to apply the brake, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES II. NEAL.

TVitnesses:

Jas. li. Uniuiunnrm,

J. MUR r11 rv.

IOO 

